Over half of drugs failing quality tests are Indian

By Sheain Fernandopulle  

More than half of the drugs that have failed quality tests so far in 2024 originated from India, according to the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry.  Of the 71 drugs that failed quality tests, about 39 were manufactured in India, while ten drugs were locally produced and the others had originated from countries like China, Kenya, Pakistan, Japan and Bangladesh etc.  

Commenting on the matter, a senior official from the Health Ministry told Daily Mirror India is one of the leading manufacturers of medicines in the world and  quality failures in the drugs manufactured in India is a normal occurrence.

“However, we make sure that no substandard medicine is released to the market,” he affirmed.    Among the drugs identified as having failed the quality tests, some have been withdrawn, withheld or discontinued.  

According to the Health Ministry, there have been a total of 600 cases of quality failures since 2017. The highest number of such cases numbering 96 were reported in 2019, while 86 drugs had failed quality tests in 2022.  
The quality issues in drugs made headlines with several complications and deaths being reported in 2023.